Once upon a time there was a little girl who came from a broken family and as a result grew up without a dad. This little girl grew up in the all too common broken home. Broken home means broken people and for her also a broken heart. There was a void that never was filled no matter where she looked or how hard she tried to fill it.

If you're like me, you want to start with a clean slate and do better at the beginning of each new year. With all the holidays, stresses in life and busy schedules the healthy habits you started at the beginning of last year may have gone bye bye or possibly put on a back burner (I'm talkin' the back back burner ;) See if you've already implemented these or if you need to...

FEED ON GOOD STUFF PHYSICALLY- Just like your car or truck was designed for the proper fuel and oil, your body is much more complex and worthy of so much more than the junk that most people feed it. If God created you, which He did, then it's important to believe that the foods He made for us are going to fuel our body and ward off sickness and disease. Stick to the typical healthy foods (lots of green and low starch veggies, organic meats, raw or organic dairy, healthy fats, fruits, etc). Keep processed and junk foods to a very minimum. FEED ON GOOD STUFF SPIRITUALLY - Just like we need DAILY nutrition, we also need to feed our Spirit man so it too can grow strong. We do that by feeding on the Word of God both in corporate settings and in our individual lives. Prov 4:22 says that it is life to those who find them and health to all their flesh.

EXERCISE YOUR PHYSICAL BODY - Did you know sitting is the new smoking and it's killing people unnecessarily? We have so many desk and computer jobs not to mention all the sitting that's involved in watching hours of TV! Do your very best to get moving!! Have a daily stretching, cardio or strength training time and then be sure and get up off the couch or out of your chair and jog in place, do some lunges, squats or push ups to keep yourself moving throughout the day. EXERCISE YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE - one way we do that is by exercising our faith and by believing God and his Word for more than we did last year. If you exercised your faith for the headaches that you were having last year, how about stretching yourself and believe God for something bigger this year? What about not only believing God to provide the food for your family but how about believing for Him to help get you out of debt? The sky is the limit as far as God is concerned. God is moved by our faith, not by our problems. A big way to grow in faith is read, study, meditate and speak His Word.

DRINK WATER FOR YOUR PHYSICAL BODY - Tap water is to be avoided unless you are washing your clothes or lawn. Drink pure water and lots of it. Your goal should be drinking 1/2 of your weight in oz of water. Your body is composed of about 60% of water so keeping hydrated has a huge impact on your overall health. DRINK OF THE LIVING WATER - Only the Lord Jesus can quench our inner thirst and he does this by the Holy Spirit (see John 7:38-39). The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual understanding, empowers believers and guides us into all truth while transforming us along the way. Thank God for the Holy Spirit in our lives!

TAKE YOUR DAILY VITAMINS/HERBS - There are basic vitamins and minerals that most people need to take especially since our food supply has lost so many benefit over the years . There are also extra special herbs or vitamins that your body may need for this season in life maybe because you aren't sleeping well, need more energy, stressed out to the max, or have high blood pressure. If you need help with your herbal program please let me know and I would love to help sort that out for you. SCRIPTURAL DAILY VITAMINS are needed just as much if not more so than our regular vitamins. Example: ANXIOUS? Take Vitamin A "All things work together for good to those who love Christ and are called according to His purpose". Read that again, meditate on it, now declare it out loud "All things WILL work together for my good because I love Christ and I am called according to His purposes!!" Now, don't you feel better already?

GUARD YOUR HEALTH - If you don't block out time to take care of YOU, then you won't be able to help anyone else out, it's that simple. You must take what time you can to eat good, exercise, and even enjoy life. There are always things demanding our attention but remember that you must spend some time taking care of you first so that you can help others, whatever that may look like for your life. GUARD YOUR SPIRITUAL HEALTH - Just like allowing junk food into our bodies can cause weight gain, disease and sickness so can feeding on the junk of this world. The things of this world will not provide any benefit at all except maybe moments of fleshly pleasures. What you feed on (watching, listening to and participating in will pull you either closer to God or further away from Him. Be on guard. Your future will depend on it.

TAKE TIME FOR THINGS YOU ENJOY - All work and no play is not wise. Take the time to do things that you enjoy doing like reading, watching a good funny movie, spending time with friends and family, take walks and enjoy the beautiful outdoors, listen to uplifting music, take a hot bath, etc. THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH (Neh 8:10). Bask in God's presence. Imagine Him loving and smiling at you. He does you know. You are the apple of His eye and nothing can separate you from His love.

REST & SLEEP WELL - It's important to get to bed at a decent time and to sleep good through the night. I know that can be challenging at times but there are different reasons for that which can be corrected. Sleep is like a battery charger. It re-energizes us for the next day and does much healing and repairing while we sleep. Guard your sleep. Make it a priority so you can have a productive day when you wake up. REST IN THE LORD. (Psalm 37:7) Cast all your cares and anxiety on Him and know that He loves to help sort out your problems. Did you know worrying is a sin? Don't do it! I have to be careful of this myself. Pray for what you have need of and then thank Him for the answer even before you see it coming. That's faith and that's what pleases God. "When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet." Think about that before you go to bed and have sweet dreams.

Hope you found these tips helpful and I pray that each of you will be in health and have a prosperous new year! Do you have any other tips to share with the rest of us?

I have ongoing nutrition/wellness classes as well as personalized and group coaching sessions that are available for you. Please contact me if there is something that I can do to help you in your health journey or if you'd like to know when my next class is. Healthy hugs to ya!!

I hope you will take time to enjoy the Andy Griffith video called "Opie and the Bully" on You Tube. If you will watch it first then read this post, you might get more out of it. Pay special attention when it gets into 18 min 49 sec of the show through 20 min 12 sec, that' the part I focus on below. 😉

Andy finds out that Opie is getting extra money for school but doesn't know why. He questions Opie, doesn't get a real answer, then of course funny Barney sees a chance to put his detective skills to use in order to get to the bottom of it. He follows Opie to school one morning only to discover that Opie is being threatened into giving up his nickel every day by a bully named Sheldon. Despite Barney's insistence that Andy intervene, Andy decides it is better to let Opie handle the situation himself. Andy explains that Opie has to learn to stand up for himself, even if the consequences might be a little painful. Later, when Opie and Andy are fishing. Andy tells Opie the story of his encounter with a bully named Hoadie Snitch. Andy explains how he stood up for himself, even though the results were painful. This gives Opie the courage to stand up to his own bully.

I really enjoy watching light hearted shows like these, the good clean ones that teach valuable lessons and can add a little humor along the way. As I watched this particular one, there was a particular segment that actually moved me to tears! 😪 Maybe it's because I grew up without a Father's love and had a void in my heart for many years (looking in all the wrong places to fill it 😞). This show gave me a glimpse into the tenderness of our caring heavenly Father. Watch the show and see if it doesn't tug on your own heart.

When you get into 19 min of the show you will see that Opie brings Andy an extra change of clothes just in case "somethin' were to happen that got his clothes tore and messy" (all this time Opie has never told Andy about the bully and Andy has never let on that he knew). Opie thanks his Pa for holding onto his extra set of clothes and starts to leave knowing that this is the day he has GOT to be brave and face that bully, by golly!! You can see on Andy's face that he wants to either say something to Opie or maybe stop the whole thing before his son leaves to face the bully. Andy decides against it. Opie pauses in the doorway, no doubt he needs a little more encouragement before he faces the battle ahead of him, and says to his Pa "You sure you didn't even feel it?" as he thinks back to when Andy chose to stand up against his bully back in the day and got a punch in the face.

(This is the part that brought on my tender tears...) Andy gets up slowly out of his chair, walks over to Opie, reaches down and lovingly picks him up with his strong arms. Andy doesn't say a word but gives Opie a strong embrace as if to say, "you can do this son, it's gonna be okay and you have my name and all my love backing you all the way to victory." Don't you just know that this encouragement gave Opie the courage to march right up to that bully and face him instead of backing down? I think it did. Many times when I have been encouraged by those that love me, it gives me strength and courage to go forward instead of shrink back.

Even though there aren't words at this point, can you see by the look in his eyes a son that trusts his Father words? Can you see a Father that looks at his son with great love and confidence that his son was born to be a winner?!! Doesn't it just get you right there (place hand on heart at this point). I never would have thought that a little old show like Andy Griffith could have caused such great emotion in my heart. But it did, and I felt the love of my heavenly Daddy wash over me.

Even though I did grow up without the love of a dad, maybe you have too, I have seen that He gives me glimpses of His great love through whatever lens I can receive that revelation. I know that as you ask Him, He will gladly show you the amazing love He has for you too. Just ask and then look and listen. Everyday. He WANTS to show you that you are not alone in this world and in the battles you face.

Takeaways to take away from this...

1. Even though there is a bully out there (his name is Satan), Christ has already whooped his you know what and every power of darkness is defeated and under our feet if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. That means we fight from a place of victory, not for victory.

2. When we encourage one another, we give in essence give courage to do what they are called to do. Sometimes we may feel like we are appointed as judges but It's really not our place to criticize and tear down one another, we are to love, build up and encourage. (see Hebrews 3:13 & Matthew 7:1-3)

3. Our Heavenly Father, sent His only Beloved Son, Jesus, to not only take our sins upon Himself but to defeat the enemy (also known as the bully of all bullies). We have ALL power over the demonic forces and we have been given the name of Jesus which is above every name to change the course of history! (see Luke 10:19)

4. Did you notice how Opie gained wisdom and courage when he was having one on one time with his Pa while fishing? Our heavenly Daddy wants us to have that one on one time with Him too. Enjoy spending time with God, meditate on His Word while listening and learning His ways. We are wired for triumph and success, it's in our DNA but the direction and strength we need must come from Christ alone, not of ourselves, lest we get prideful and become boastful. (see Joshua 1:8)

5. Since God has already defeated the enemy and given us all the power and authority to change the world around us, it's time to quit being passive and it's time to quit being afraid. Our focus shouldn't be on fighting flesh and blood. We should be exerting that time and energy on spending time in God's Word and in His presence. Love people while attacking the darkness with the sword of the Spirit (Word of God) and by praying. Major battles are won this way. (see Ephesians 6:12)

6. You and I are greatly loved by our Heavenly Father. He has given us wisdom and encouragement and told us to not fear, but instead be strong, be courageous and go out and do even greater works than Christ did! WOW!! It's a big task, though not impossible as we have the love of the Father, His authority and all of heaven backing us.(see Jeremiah 31:3 & John 14:12)

Was there something else that spoke to you when you watched this video? Do you find God reveals things to you even in the mundane moments like watching a show?

Let me encourage you...don't be bullied, fearful or discouraged. You have all of heaven at your disposal. YOU my friend, have a Heavenly Father that is CRAZY IN LOVE WITH YOU!!! Believe it! There's nothing you have to do to earn His love, it's free and it's too big to even comprehend how great it is, just accept it, by faith. His Word trumps our feelings. Always.

The Center for Disease Control states "Chronic diseases and conditions-such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and arthritis-are among the most common, costly and preventable of all health problems." If this is the case, there are things we can do to prevent disease.

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